06/19/2006 - Advisory Parks & Recreation CommissionApproved July 17, 2006
ADVISORY PARKS COMMISSION
EAGAN, MINNESOTA
MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF JUNE 19, 2006
A regular meeting of the Advisory Parks Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. on June 19,
2006 with the following Commission Members present: Joseph Bari, Phil Belfiori, Margo Danner, N.
Mark Filipi, Laurie Halverson, Duane Hansen, Muhammed Lodhi, Dorothy Peterson and Richard
Pletcher. Ryan Zipf was not present. Staff included Director of Parks and Recreation Juli Seydell
Johnson; Superintendent of Operations Cherryl Mesko; Superintendent of Parks Paul Olson; Water
Resources Coordinator Eric Macbeth, Forestry Supervisor Gregg Hove, Recreation Facilities Manager
Sonya Rippe, Recreation Program Manager Paula Nowariak, City Planner Pam Dudziak and Recording
Secretary Lori Kimball.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Member Filipi moved, Member Bari seconded; with all present members voting in favor to
approve the agenda.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF May 15, 2006
Member Bari moved and Member Danner seconded with all present members voting in favor to
approve the May 15, 2006 minutes as presented.
VISITORS TO BE HEARD
There were no visitors to be heard.
DIRECTORS UPDATE
Director Johnson provided a brief overview of activities and events within the department.
CONSENT AGENDA
Member Bari moved and Member Danner seconded, with all present members voting to
recommend to the City Council the following:
Kennealy Ridge Apartments
1. This proposal shall be responsible for a cash parks dedication.
2. This proposal shall be responsible for a cash trails dedication.
3. The applicant shall be required to fulfill tree mitigation requirements through the installation
of one hundred seventy-eight (178) Category B trees, and a cash payment of $22,500.00.
4. The applicant shall be required to protect the preserved tree's critical root zones through the
placement of required Tree Protective measures (i.e. orange colored silt fence or 4 foot
polyethylene laminate safety netting), to be installed at the Drip Line or at the perimeter of
the Critical Root Zone, whichever is greater, of significant trees/woodlands to be preserved
on-site.
5. The applicant shall be required to contact the City Forestry Division and set up a pre-
construction site inspection at least five days prior to the issuance of the grading permit to
ensure compliance with the approved Tree Preservation Plan and placement of the Tree
Protection Fencing.
Advisory Parks Commission
Minutes of Regular Meeting of June 19, 2006
Page 2
6. Two ponds should be utilized to treat stormwater runoff as proposed. The ponds should have
dimensions acceptable to City standards.
• Eagan Hills Alliance Church
1. This proposal shall be responsible for a cash parks dedication as applicable.
2. This proposal shall be responsible for a cash trails dedication as applicable
3. This proposal shall be responsible for a cash dedication in lieu of on-site water quality
ponding.
DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
Novus-Manley Commercial
City Planner Pam Dudziak, provided background stating that Manley Commercial Inc. is requesting
approval of a Preliminary Subdivision for the proposed development of a 90,000 sq. ft. private school for
grades 7-12, associated athletic fields and a three story office building totaling approximately 190,000 sq.
ft. with structured parking. A north-south public street is proposed from O'Neil Drive extending to a
temporary cul-de-sac at the southern boundary of the site. The property consists of an outlot on O'Neil
Drive south of 1-494 and west of Argenta Trail. A 2.35-acre portion of the subject site is located in Inver
Grove Heights and will require separate action by the Inver Grove Heights city council for development
and plat approval.
Forestry Supervisor Gregg Hove, showed an aerial photo of the vacant site's rolling topography,
scattered wooded areas and several wetlands. A tree inventory submitted with this application indicates
that there are two-hundred thirty-seven (237) significant trees and thirty-two thousand nine-hundred
fourteen (32,914) square feet (.76 acres) of significant woodlands in the inventory. Supervisor Hove
reviewed the details of the tree removal proposed for this site and noted that the applicant has submitted a
Tree Mitigation Plan that indicates the installation of two-hundred-two (202) Category B trees to fulfill
tree mitigation requirements.
Water Resources Coordinator, Eric Macbeth, showed a map of the site noting there are five wetland
areas on the project site of which "A" and "B" are of high ecological quality because neither of these
wetlands is connected to the City's stormwater drainage system. The assessments indicate wetlands "C,"
"D," and "E" to be of low ecological quality. Preliminary wetland management classifications being
developed in Eagan's water quality management plan (WQMP) update process indicate wetlands "A" and
"B" would receive the highest level of protection and approaches for this management classification may
include: 1) avoidance of any impacts without demonstration of significant public benefit; 2) minimum
natural vegetation buffer widths of 50 feet and average buffer widths of 75 feet; 3) 25-foot no-grade zone
around wetlands; and 4) 25-foot structure setback from outer buffer edge. The other three wetlands would
be protected similarly to what is provided by Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) Rules.
Macbeth stated the stormwater runoff from the site would drain west toward the Minnesota River.
Macbeth said because of the size of the parcel, this project is subject to City water quality requirements.
Macbeth said that the developer proposes to meet water quality requirements through innovative
stormwater management such as rain gardens, underground storage (wet vaults), and underground
infiltration pipes. No stormwater treatment basins were proposed. All stormwater from these practices
would first be routed to the replacement wetlands and then to existing high quality wetlands. Macbeth
informed the commission that specific information regarding stormwater management for approximately
half of the site ("Outlet A" - commercial development portion) had not yet been provided by the
developer.
Advisory Parks Commission
Minutes of Regular Meeting of June 19, 2006
Page 3
The developer has requested the City to exempt it from replacement standards, permitting 8,602-ft2
wetland "E" to be filled entirely. Historical evidence indicates wetland "E" was formed by construction of
O'Neil Drive. Macbeth noted this is acceptable by the wetland technical advisory panel (TEP).
The developer proposes to fill 20,460 square feet of the wetlands "C" and "D" entirely and to replace
that impact with new wetland and by claiming 116,159 ft2 of public value credit for establishment of
native grass upland habitat surrounding existing and created wetlands. The proposed amounts of
replacement exceed the minimum 2:1 standards of the WCA Rules.
Macbeth informed the commission that the TEP did not recommend approval of the wetland
replacement plan due to lack of information regarding stormwater issues and missing detail for Outlet A.
Representatives from Novus-Manly Commercial asked that Alternative 9 be approved based on the
developer providing the missing information as soon as possible. The developer's engineer responded to
questions from member Belfiori noting that there is no outlet for the proposed wetland because the water
flows south to the agricultural fields and would continue to do so. Macbeth stated the TEP believes the
road is an avoidable impact since its orientation can be shifted. Novus-Manly responded that requirements
of office parking, school and athletic fields create the need for the orientation of the road, so the developer
does not consider this an avoidable impact.
After a brief discussion by the commission Member Belfiori moved, Member Filipi seconded; with
all members present voting in favor to recommend to the City Council the following:
1. This proposal shall be responsible for a cash parks dedication.
2. This proposal shall be responsible for a cash trails dedication.
3. The applicant shall be required to fulfill tree mitigation requirements through the installation
of one hundred eighty-one (181) Category B trees.
4. The applicant shall be required to protect the preserved tree's critical root zones through the
placement of required Tree Protective measures (i.e.orange colored silt fence or 4 foot
polyethylene laminate safety netting), to be installed at the Drip Line or at the perimeter of
the Critical Root Zone, whichever is greater, of significant trees/woodlands to be preserved
on-site.
5. The applicant shall be required to contact the City Forestry Division and set up a pre-
construction site inspection at least five days prior to the issuance of the grading permit to
ensure compliance with the approved Tree Preservation Plan and placement of the Tree
Protection Fencing.
6. The wetland delineation report should be formally accepted as submitted.
7. The incidental wetland exemption request should be granted.
8. High quality wetlands "A" and "B" shall be protected according to the following provisions,
all of which are proposed by the developer:
a. avoidance of any impacts without demonstration of significant public benefit;
b. minimum natural vegetation buffer width of 50 feet and average buffer width of 75
feet;
c. 25-foot no-grade zone around wetlands;
d. 25-foot structure setback from outer buffer edge, and
e. a conservation easement for the surrounding area.
Advisory Parks Commission
Minutes of Regular Meeting of June 19, 2006
Page 4
9. Approval of the wetland replacement plan application will occur upon:
a. The receipt of additional technical information regarding overall site stormwater
issues, ensuring that stormwater will not exceed the volume and bounce beyond the
current existing conditions and receipt of specific replacement wetland construction
strategies.
b. The developer providing a maintenance agreement to ensure that maintenance will
occur for any underground stormwater practices.
c. The developer demonstrating that amounts and fluctuations of stormwater to the
wetlands do not exceed existing conditions.
d. The developer providing a post-project assessment of the replacement wetlands
(using the standard MNRAM protocols) to the TEP for it to determine if the
constructed replacement wetland basins at least meet the functions and values of the
impacted wetlands.
OLD BUSINESS
Patrick Eagan Park Master Plan Update
Director Johnson updated the Commission regarding the Patrick Eagan Park Master Plan. The
consultants have met with the staff and done a walk through at Patrick Eagan Park. On June 20 the
consultants will meet with the Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway and in the future will be meeting with
the Caponi Art Park Board and the Art House Board. The consultants will likely be at the next workshop
meeting on July 17.
NEW BUSINESS
2007 Fees and Charges
Director Johnson introduced this item, stating that the APrC annually reviews the fees charged for
private use of park facilities and recreation equipment. During the review and discussion of the 2007 fees
and charges staff suggested the consideration of a 5% overall increase in all fees. This would offset
inflationary increases that have occurred since the last increase in 2004. An increase of 10% from 2003 to
2004 was the last time a fee increase was proposed and approved. The service of providing rental
facilities and amenities to the community is a valuable service and the city is also mindful of the need to
maintain a level of cost recovery for services.
Member Danner opined that the City should re-consider the rental fee for facilities used for fund
raising activities. She cited several cities within the metropolitan area that offer a lower fee to local
organizations for their fund-raising efforts. After a brief discussion, Chair Peterson suggested that since
the Recreation Subcommittee will be meeting to discuss other proposed fees that might be incorporated
into the overall fee schedule that they re-visit the rental fee for fund raising and bring further discussion
and recommendations back to the APrC for consideration.
Member Pletcher moved and Chair Peterson seconded, with all present members voting in favor to
recommend to the City Council approval of the 2007 fee schedule as presented which reflects a 5%
increase in all fees.
Advisory Parks Commission
Minutes of Regular Meeting of June 19, 2006
Page 5
OTHER BUSINESS AND REPORTS
There was no other business and reports to discuss.
WATER RESOURCES UPDATE
Member Belfiori asked for input from the commission regarding the timeline for sharing information
about the Water Quality Management Plan with the public. He shared a preliminary timeline that would
show public meetings occurring in late summer as well as dates in which the APrC sould be brought up to
date with the actual plan and its implications to the City of Eagan. It is expected that this project will be
completed before 2007.
ROUND TABLE
Member Pletcher reminded viewers that Saturday and Sunday is the Eagan Art Fair. Member Danner
noted that Caponi Art Park is featured is the June Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business to conduct, Member Pletcher moved, Member Bari seconded with all
members voting in favor to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
S retary Date